Thirty-six Central District pastors and spouses attended a retreat April 24-26 at Castaway Club near Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.
Speaker Brent Warkentin, lead pastor of Ridgepoint Church in Wichita, Kansas, spoke on the theme, “Stand Firm,” based on 1 Corinthians 16:13-14.
Warkentin highlighted four “to do’s” including:
- Guard against your own soul and divisive people.
- Stand firm on the Word and in practice.
- Be courageous while embracing limits and living in dependence on Jesus.
- Be strong as gate smashers of hell on earth.
Dewey and Bethany Noordmans, Lincoln Hills Bible Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, led participants in worship.
Saturday afternoon’s schedule offered time for attendees to rest and recharge with a variety of free-time activities, including a chilly pontoon ride on the lake.
Mike and Roberta Lotvola prepared home-cooked meals, including a slow-paced and fellowship-rich meal around raclettes. This is an interactive Swiss dining experience, featuring a stone-top surface for grilling vegetables, meat and seafood with small pans below for melting cheese—all of which is put on a baked potato.
The retreat was designed to refresh and renew, says Rhonda Swiers, CDC administrative assistant.
Attendees share highlights
Connection with others was one highlight mentioned by attendees.
Ryan and Charlotte Morriss of Redemption Church in Owatonna, Minnesota, say they appreciated both the messages they heard and the conversations they had with others.
“We both felt like Pastor Brent, though he didn’t know it, spoke God’s truth to us,” they say via email. “Having opportunities to talk with other pastors and their wives answered so many questions we had and encouraged us in the ministry God has called us into. We found confidence in knowing it’s OK to embrace where we are at (and) this new path God has us on. It’s OK to have our limitations as God uses those to make us more dependent on him and grow us. We have a much deeper appreciation for Christ and his ways, the Mennonite Brethren, the Central District and for each person we talked with at the retreat.”
Paul and Irina Afanasiev from Grace Church in Eagen, Minnesota, also appreciated the fellowship.
“This was our first time attending, and the experience was incredible from start to finish,” say the Afanasievs. “While the setting was beautiful, the true highlight was the time spent in worship and fellowship.
“As a smaller church, it was deeply encouraging to connect with other ministry couples, sharing ideas on how to minister more effectively and navigating the common challenges we all face in today’s world. It was a powerful and much needed reminder that we aren’t in this alone. We are so grateful to the Central District for sponsoring this retreat. We’ve returned feeling recharged, inspired and so ready to continue the work here at home with our church family.”
With files from Rhonda Swiers and the CDC.
Janae Rempel Shafer is the Christian Leader associate editor and joined the CL staff in 2017. Shafer is an award-winning writer, receiving multiple awards from the Kansas Press Association and Evangelical Press Association. A Tabor graduate with a degree in communications and religious studies, she and her husband, Austin, attend Ridgepoint Church in Wichita, Kansas.
